This swamp at the edge of the Rio Hondo challenged the Ancient Maya farmers. Mucky earth was shoveled into small plots to reclaim valuable crop space and to prevent vegetable roots from rotting.

The limestone and clay [marl] content provided form and structure to such a plot, while the swampiness made for potentially rich growing medium, due to the rapidity of organic breakdown. The lime soils of these lowlands are normally very shallow.

They lack the organic elements for growing crops on anything but a small family scale.